The idea of the exhibition stems from the contemplation of Jannis Kounellis' work Untitled, which alludes to a crucifixion and suffering, but without presenting the body of Christ. The artist here implements a "poetics of secrecy," of the mystery of things. Towards dramaturgy and theatricality, where even the absence of the figure - with its reference - is powerful and tragic.

The term "damnatio figurae" refers to a denial of images, a theme that relates to historical debates not only on iconoclasm, but in general on the use of visual representations. Starting from these assumptions, seizing the cue given by the importance and meaning of the presence or absence of the human face and figure, the selection in the Nave brings together the works of 5 artists (Thorsten Brinkmann, Aron Demetz, Nicola Samorì, Mariano Sardon, Manolo Valdés) who, in different ways, have worked around the absence or concealment of the human expression, without reaching iconoclasm.

In the Sacristy, by contrast, there are a series of contemporary portraits of great importance, also iconographic, but with a more classic approach - all coming from the foundation's collection. From Andy Warhol's queen to the women of Wesselmann and Casorati, from Baechler to Chia, from Music to Ida Barbarigo, up to a singular Max Ernst - and others - they represent the human face and figure, declining the theme in a multiplicity of forms.

Completing the setup is Maurizio Cattelan's installation, Stadium. Since the portrait has become - with the advent of photography - increasingly a reflection on people's identity, rather than a physical representation, it becomes crucial to represent the role we have in society, our personality also given by our system of relationships. In this context, the work Stadium becomes the stage where people play roles within groups, where they manifest their social identity.